Britain's Deportations Face Execution

by Rhonda J Mangus | April 23, 2008 at 07:48 pm

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Equality Forum this month called on Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to encourage British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to halt the deportation of gay Iranian refugees living in Britain.

Gay rights group, Equality Forum, call on Presidential Candidates Clinton, Obama, and McCain to add their voice(s) to what Equality Forum considers "a signifcant international human rights concern,"... Britain's deportation of Iranian gays who face execution if returned to Iran.

Obama's campaign was the first to respond, followed by Clinton's National Security Advisor who said that "it was tracking the case of Mehdi Kazemi, a 19-year-old gay man who faces execution if returned to Iran." No response to the request for intervention was provided by McCain's campaign.

Equality Forum's request of the Presidential Candidates to intervene comes at a time when British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is forging closer relationships with each of the Presidential candidates. The Prime Minister was in Washington last week and purportedly met with each of the candidates.

Equality Forum's Executive Director, Malcolm Lazin, also believes this is an appropriate time to request intervention from the Presidential candidates because it will determine how they will respond to gay rights issues once elected President.

Rhonda J Mangus, I like this story. It's good stuff. Rhonda, though tragic, Canada would certainly offer him safe haven, Western Countries the world over have not deported those who commit violent or drug related criminal acts, let alone Homosexuality, Hopefully Britain will change its tune and allow this man to live in peace in Britain. As for getting Obama and Clinton into the fray, smacks of "political pandering on both parties", who in any other circumstances if private citizens, would most likely not give a "Diddlers Damn" about this poor guy. Anything come to mind on any of these issues in which Obama and Clinton ever did any Letter writing campaigns on behalf of Gays before they entered the Political process, "dont think so".

Hi Barry - thanks for the "GS"! I am glad you like the story!

First, I don't think so either. I do know that Clinton is 'courting' the GLBT community in the US, and very successfully. She announced a 71-member LGBT Steering Committe in PA earlier this month. And, in June 2007, Clinton's campaign announced the formation of "LGBT Americans for Hillary" (a national steering committee who works on political outreach, communications, policy advice and counsel, and fund-raising). I agree too that the deportation issue, "...smacks of "political pandering..." but I do think Lazin was right to bring attention to the issue of Britain's deportation of gay Iranians residing in Britain, and Lazin was very wise to call on the candidates for intervention - as I agree that the candidate's responses (or lack thereof) can be an indication of how they will proceed in such matters affecting human and civil rights (across the board). Thanks again, Barry!

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